Wilderness Complaints

Israel was saved from their abusive relationship with Egypt when God sent Moses and Aaron to lead them out of Egypt.  He could have led them on a shorter journey to the Promised Land - 250 miles taking about two weeks - but He did not want to send them through the land of the Philistines because He didn't want them to fight with them.  He wanted to protect them.  So He took them another route which ended up taking two years.  He gave them food.  Their clothes and shoes did not wear out.  They had what they needed.  The people grumbled in the wilderness.  They complained against God.  They looked to the past and looked upon that abusive relationship as BETTER than what God was providing.  They remembered the excess meat they had eaten, then looked at the manna God had provided.  They remembered the homes in which they had lived, then looked at the tents the carried around with them.  What they chose to ignore was that they were now free.  Free from the Egyptians that had enslaved them and abused them.  God provided for them every step of their journey.  He didn't give them excess - they couldn't have handled excess on their journey - but He gave them exactly what they needed.

"It seemed like no matter how many times God provided for the Israelites, they still found something about which they could complain."1

Doesn't this sound like us?  Like you?  Most definitely like me?

There are times in our lives that God leads us away from something that is no good for us.  Sometimes we go through the wilderness because God is protecting us from something worse.  Sometimes we go through it because there is a lesson we need to learn or we need to grow before He can lead us to the Promised Land.  "In the wilderness, character is built."2  

Regardless of why we are in the desert, regardless of how we ended up in the wilderness, He always provides.  He doesn't take us there and leave us to manage on our own.  He provides.  For the Israelites it was manna, protection, clothing and shoes, etc.  They didn't live extravagant lives.  He didn't give them excess because excess is not what they needed.  They were travelers.  They were wanderers.  Excess would have made it more difficult to get to the promised land.

How I am like the Israelites of that day!  God has taken me out of abusive relationships.  Some with people, some with material items such as food, or from greed.  Every step of the way He has provided.  Maybe it wasn't always the way I had hoped or expected.  Maybe at the time I couldn't or chose not to see the provision, but in hindsight I can see His hand and his providence.  Sometimes I was grateful for the provision, then the next day was already thinking about what else I "needed."

I have the proof from my own life that He always provides.  He doesn't provide me with excess.  He provides me with something so much better.  He provides me with what I need.  No more.  More is excess and excess leads to sin.  Excess leads to bondage.  Excess makes me believe I can do all things through me, not through Christ.  

And just like the Israelites, if it isn't what I want or if I remember the "good ole days" with fondness instead of sadness, I grumble against the Lord and his provision.

I know for a fact I have been through the wilderness the last couple of years.  Don't get me wrong, it has been a great wilderness.  I have had the time to spend with my children.  A time to really grow, while paring down my life.  Removing the excess I didn't need.  God knew I needed to remove excess.  The last several months have been really hard.  Yet, when I look back over them, He always provided for us.  Every single time.  No one in my house went hungry.  No one in my home lacked clothing.  No one in my family spent a night homeless.  I am still removing excess.  I imagine this will be a lifelong journey.  But I have come so far from where I was, where we were filling a house full to overflowing.  Where money was being spent wherever we wanted for things that have no eternal impact, other than to keep us in bondage.  

I thank God for this wilderness.  I thank Him for providing for my family during this journey.  I thank Him for the lessons, the character building, the removal of excess which enslaved me.  

I don't want to be like the Israelites of Moses' day and grumble about God's provision, or be thankful one day and forget the next.  This day I choose to remember His provisions and His love, rather than to complain that I had it better or easier in the former days.  This day I choose to be grateful.  And I pray that I never look back at and pine away for the "good ole days", but that I always remember that God provides for His people, even in the midst of the wilderness.  

"Your grace abounds in deepest waters, Your sovereign hand will be my guide, Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me, You've never failed and You won't start now."3

Oceans

1-2.  Hovind, Chad. Fast Track: Genesis to Revelation. Nashville, TN: Lifeway Press, 2013. Print. 39. 

3 Oceans. Hillsong United. 2013. Music/song. 

This Week from the Farm

I know I am the biggest geek when it comes to delivery boxes.  Twice a year I can't wait for the big box of Bible Studies.  Once a month I eagerly await the box from Amazon with...wait for it...food, hba, and/or cleaning supplies {sadly...yes I do}.  Now every week I get giddy over the Tuesday CSA box.  This week was no exception.  I spent the day in JC with the kids and I couldn't wait to run in the house when we got home to see what we got.

We got four bags of greens - 2 kale, 1 red kale, and 1 Swiss chard.  We gave some to a lady the hubs works with, as we do each week, and still had a mess of greens to work with.  Well there are only so many salads one can eat...just sayin'.  So I had to come up with different recipes for those.

We also got (which you cannot see) a bag of basil.  This is the fifth bag in the back that you can barely see all the way on the right.  It is one of those big bags the greens come in, but 1/4 full.  Which may not sound like a lot but it is A LOT.  Normally the herbs come in these little bags.  You can almost see the little bags behind the squash and cukes, but in front of the greens bags.

The herbs, besides basil, that we got in the smaller bags were sage, oregano, and dill.

We got 3 more of those bright yellow squash things (I have GOT to look these up), 4 of the pale yellow bumpy squash things (again, look it up R!!), 7 cucumbers, 3 green bell peppers, several jalapenos, several banana peppers, some really long skinny green peppers I haven't figured out yet, and some super skinny long dark green peppers that look somewhat ominous.  I am really looking forward to figuring out the peppers.  Is salsa in my very near future????

As I said earlier, I have been trying to come up with different ways to use each of the items.  Healthy or not, you can only eat these things so many times a certain way.  My goal this summer was to find different ways to eat different foods ~ expand our horizons, increase healthy eating.  You know the drill.  Some will be hits.  Some will be misses.

Wednesday night "we" grilled {aka I prepared and the hubs grilled} pork steaks, burgers, and hot dogs.  I also had him throw on some zucchini and squash spears that had been marinating in olive oil and garlic.

It turned out okay.  I think I would like a few more herbs or spices on it in the future, but I can dig it.  

While he was grilling, I was working on more dill zucchini pickles and sweet cuke pickles, like last week.  I still haven't dared to try the dill pickles yet, but the hubs, A, and I like the sweet ones!  I also threw together a recipe for sauteed Swiss chard.  Except by the time it was time for me to throw in the Swiss chard, I looked at the recipe and realized it was supposed to be kale.  I figured it wouldn't hurt though, because I had seen recipes for sauteed Swiss chard and kale.  So I dropped it in.  If you like cooked spinach with vinegar, this is the recipe for you.  

The littles didn't like it, although they both tried it.  I ate it and it was okay but wouldn't love to have it a lot.  The hubs liked it.  It was frightening.  Here is my recipe:

Sauteed Mushrooms and Swiss Chard

1 8 oz box of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

6 garlic cloves, minced (or 6 t of minced garlic)

6 cups of Swiss chard

1 T olive oil

2 T basil-garlic butter

In a pan, heat olive oil and garlic.  When garlic becomes fragrant (about 30 seconds) add the mushrooms and saute until a golden brown.  Add the basil-garlic butter (or butter and herbs of your choice), then the Swiss chard.  Swiss chard cooks really quickly, so stir and don't let sit.  Cook for about 2 minutes, then serve.

The original recipe is here.

Grilled Zucchini and Squash

Zucchini and squash (whatever amount you want) 

olive oil

herbs and spices

Cut your zucchini and squash into spears.  Remove the center seed part on the squash.  Put the zucchini and squash into a big plastic bag.  Pour olive oil over the spears to coat.  Put whatever herbs and spices you want in the bag and close.  Gently move bag around to completely cover the spears with oil, herbs, and spices.  Let marinate for 30 minutes or longer.  When grill is ready, place directly on the grill, rotating to ensure all sides are grilled.  It will take between 12-15 minutes, depending on how much you prefer your veggies cooked.

The original recipe is here.  Yeah, I know, this one is not even really close anymore, I just don't really dig lemon zest on veggies.  Or on grills.  It goes in desserts to me.  Just need to give props where props are due.

-----------------------

I threw the yellow squash into the food processor and now have 17 cups of shredded squash.  I plan on baking Chocolate Zucchini Bread today and hoping squash can go in its place.  The rest has been prepared for going into the freezer for things like this: Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes, Garden Harvest Cake, Zucchini Parmesan Loaf, Zucchini Pecan Flax seed Bread, or to slip into sauces when the fam isn't looking.

Now, on to figuring out what the peppers are!

Goody Box

If I was a small child, the idea of a goody box would make me squeal at the treasures - candy, toys, stickers - I could find.  As an adult, I still squeal when I get a goody box, only this time it is either full of new Bible Studies or fresh veggies and herbs from the CSA.  

In the last two weeks I have gotten both.  So my cup runneth over.  

In this week's CSA goody box, 

I found the following:

beets, kale, red Russian kale, and Swiss chard

                      

a green pepper, 3 cukes, zucchini, and two different kinds of yellow squash.

Plus herbs such as basil, dill, and sage.

I dried the sage (as I did the sage and basil from last week).  This week I used the fresh basil to make herb butter.  I already made basil butter, 

and after I go to the store to get more butter, I will be making garlic and basil butter.  Super excited to start using this butter on steaks after they are grilled or Italian bread or...whatever else I come up with!

To make the herb butter, use 1 cup of butter (salted or un-salted, up to you!) and 4-6 teaspoons of your herb, depending on how much herb you like.  If you are using multiple herbs, it would be 4-6 teaspoons total, not each.  I personally use 6 teaspoons.

We have had several zucchini and squash over the last couple of boxes, therefore I have been hunting for recipes so that we don't eat fried zucchini every day (ugh, my heart and pores clogged up at that thought).

This week, I have made the necessary squash chips.  This one is a no-brainer.  That is done first.  And third.  And fifth.  

This week I also tried my hand at pickles.  Over the last two days my mother and I made dill zucchini pickles using the dill from the CSA, sweet zucchini pickles, and sweet cucumber pickles.  

The recipes I used were from here:  dill and sweet.  For the sweet cuke pickles, we left out the turmeric.  We haven't tried any of them yet, but are hoping they are great!

Don't judge me about my cluttered kitchen!  I am still in the process of canning ~ getting ready to do some of these bad boys...

My mom prepared the green peppers so that next time I am feeling the need for fajitas, I can just pop them out of the freezer.  She also happily took the beets off my hands.  I wasn't feeling up to figuring out what to do with those this time.

But don't fret.  I'm still working on de-cluttering and "becoming minimalist".  And I am looking forward to the next box in two days.  

Shabbat Shalom {peaceful Sabbath} to you.

New Statistic

Back in 2009, it was estimated that trafficking of humans brought in $32,000,000,000 annually with the illegal sale of women, men, and children. (1)  32 BILLION.  What a staggering number.  Can you imagine that number?  Can you imagine what we could do to end worldwide poverty with that amount of money?

But it is used for the sale of human beings.  Want to know what is more staggering?

That number has grown.  Not by a little.  I mean even a 5% raise would be huge - $1,600,000,000.  But it didn't rise by 5%.  Or even 50%.  Not even 100%.  It EXPLODED.  It is estimated that the profits from this "industry" has increased THREE HUNDRED SIXTY EIGHT PERCENT. (2)  That's right.  368%.  So while America's (and other countries') economy(ies) has(have) gotten a little unstable over the last several years, people have found the money for trafficking.  For further demoralizing the poor, for further degrading those who need our hand up not their hands shackled.

Human trafficking now generates $150,000,000,000 in illegal profits annually. (3)  It is on the rise.  It is not going away.  

Think on that.  

Don't feel compelled to act?

If it continues like this, if it continues to explode by 368% every four years, that is another increase of $552,000,000,000.  It would be over a $700 billion illegal industry by 2017.  

I can only imagine that with the profits exploding that the number of victims has done the same.  We cannot keep turning a blind eye.  There aren't an endless number of human beings in this world.  One day, if this doesn't stop, each of us will be personally affected by this.  Our sponsored child, someone we met on a mission trip abroad, our neighbor, our friend, our daughter.  We aren't immune to this in America.  

We need to pray.

Then after praying, if you feel compelled to physically do something, please check out a website for many of the agencies that help rescue those who are trafficked or prevent trafficking.  Here are a few of my faves, but there are many more.

A21 - http://www.thea21campaign.org

Not For Sale - http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

Abolition International - http://abolitioninternational.org/

International Justice Mission - http://www.ijm.org/

Justice Generation - http://www.justice-generation.com/

Out of Darkness - http://www.outofdarkness.org/

Polaris Project - http://www.polarisproject.org/index.php

Project Rescue - http://projectrescue.com/

Please pray.  Pray nonstop.  Pray for these lives.  Pray that this will stop.  

Then act.

It doesn't do any good to know, then do nothing about it.  And you can't un-know.  

___________________________________________________

1. Keen, Laura. "Human Trafficking is on the Rise."  notforsalecampaign.org.  Not For Sale, June 24, 2014          
2. ibid

3. ibid

Zucchini, Zucchini, Squash, Squash, Zucchini, Beans {and tea}

If you were to ask me even 10 years ago my thoughts on zucchini or squash I would have said YUCK.  To this day there are some recipes that would still make me say YUCK.  I am just not fond of the texture of squash and zucchini that are baked or mushy or slimy in a casserole.  I am that way with eggplant also.  I love some fried zucchini and eggplant, but my jeans tell me it is time to look for alternatives to fried since we are getting several zucchini and squash a week from our CSA.  Want to know more about our CSA?? They are awesome, read here.

So  here are a few of the of the dishes we have tried so far.

1) Fried zucchini and squash (self-explanatory and delish!!)

2) Zucchini and squash chips - possibly the hubs fave.  He eats them so fast that I sit there wondering if the 3-4 hours of dehydrating are worth it (ha ha).  I just wash the zucchini and squash, cut off the ends, then throw them in the food processor for a thin slice.  I would say 1/8 inch or smaller, depending on hard I push down when it is slicing.  I lightly coat the dehydrator trays with olive oil spray, then load the trays up as appropriate, with the zucchini and squash.  I then sprinkle some seasonings lightly on the veggies and start the dehydrator.  Typically I use either Lawry's garlic salt, but yesterday I mixed it up with some Mrs. Dash garlic & herb.  Turn on the dehydrator and let it do its thing for a couple of hours.  

That is seriously all that is left of two squash after the hubs "helped" me by taking the chips off the dehydrator and putting them away.  

3) Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread (aka chocolate chip bread, so the kids would eat it) - thank you Paula Deen, that's all I can say.

4) Zucchini pancakes - I altered the recipe found here and will alter it some more.  The hubs, B, and I liked them, A didn't.  However, if you know me very well, you know the thought of eggs sends me over a cliff.  These had too much egg and felt too much like a scrambled egg with zucchini in it for my taste.  I am going to only put in one egg next time.  I also substituted Italian bread crumbs for the crackers.  The taste is great, now just need to work on the texture.

So tomorrow is the big day...it is TUESDAY!!  Which means it is CSA day!  I am looking forward to seeing what goodies we will get.

Yesterday, we were able to pick some green beans from our own garden.  It wasn't a huge pick yet, but enough for a fairly big pot of them.  I love this part of summer.  But shhhhh, don't tell, it will ruin my winter baby image.  

AND Thank you very much McDonald's for the diet sweet tea!  I love some sweet tea, but it makes me sad when it is full of so much sugar.  NOW you have come to my rescue and made a diet tea with 0 calories.  THANK YOU!!